1. Field of the Invention
The invention is in the field of fragmentary water ice making.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Most commercial ice production is in fragmentary form of which the three basic types are flake, tube, and plate.
Flake ice is produced by applying water to the inside or outside of a refrigerated drum. Ice removal devices fracture the thin layer of ice produced, breaking it free and permitting it to fall into an ice bin.
Tube ice is produced by freezing a falling film of water either on the outside of a stainless steel tube with evaporating refrigerant on the inside, or freezing water on the inside of tubes surrounded by evaporating refrigerant on the outside. The tube is then defrosted by the application of heat which permits the ice to slide off the tube into a breaker and then into a storage area.
Plate ice makers are those that build ice on a flat vertical surface to which water is applied, liquid refrigerant circulating within the plate. The ice is harvested either by applying hot gas to the refrigerant circuit of the plates or by flowing warm water on the back side of the plate.
The Buxton et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,470,202 discloses the freezing of pharmaceutical substances or the like by introducing droplets into the bottom of a column of a liquid freezing medium and permitting the frozen droplets to rise to the surface to be harvested by a conveyor. The liquid freezing medium is refrigerated by external means. The liquid medium is circulated in counterflow to the ascent of the droplets to permit freezing in a column of less height than would be required in the absence of such counterflow.
The United States patent to Gibson et al. discloses a method of freezing a liquid such as cream by dispensing a stream of it from a nozzle onto a stream of liquified gas flowing along a downwardly inclined channel.
The Porter et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,162,019 discloses an apparatus in which a liquid such as coffee extract is dispensed by droplets into a low temperature body of liquid, the droplets freezing and being removed by a conveyor.
The Torobin et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,178,899 discloses a process of freeze concentrating a solution, such as that of a beverage, within an immiscible liquid.
The Burley U.S. Pat. No. 3,817,048 discloses the reduction of the liquid content of a sludge by first freezing the sludge in droplet form by contacting the droplets with an inert liquid refrigerant which is immiscible with the suspending medium of the sludge.
The Wilson U.S. Pat. No. 3,835,658 discloses the desalination of saline water by freezing, including forming a mixture of ice and concentrated saline water, by heat exchange with an evaporating liquid refrigerant, and separating the ice from the concentrated saline water.
The Robillard U.S. Pat. No. 2,059,970, Birdseye U.S. Pat. No. 2,263,452, Hirtensteiner U.S. Pat. No. 3,376,710, Alaburda et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,611,737, and Astrom U.S. Pat. No. 3,635,045, disclose conveyors for moving a frozen packaged product from a liquid bath or spray upwardly, including subjecting the product in some cases, to a refrigerated air stream in its upward movement.